Students

GEOP8090 – Gateway to the Planning Profession

2022 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Alison Ziller
alison.ziller@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
by appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MPlan and 80cp at 8000 level
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Planning is a professional practice and this unit is designed to assist students develop skills for a career in the planning profession. The unit requires students to prepare a substantial and well researched report in response to a Brief issued by a hypothetical planning agency. The student will prepare a work plan, apply knowledge of planning systems to a particular issue, and respond to the expressed requirements of the hypothetical client. In undertaking this work the student will apply research skills, identify and confront ethical issues, and practice writing for a non-specialist audience.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Prepare a detailed project outline in response to a planning Brief and document the key steps in its execution
  • ULO2: Apply research skills to contemporary planning issues
  • ULO3: Exercise problem-solving, critical, analytical and integrative thinking skills in the field of planning
  • ULO4: Communicate findings in written forms for diverse audiences
  • ULO5: Apply skills in self-management, personal judgement and initiative

General Assessment Information

Detailed information about each assignment will be availabile on the iLearn page for this unit and the requirements of each assignment will be discussed in class. 

All assignments must be submitted via Turn-it-in. 

Please note: Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – 10 marks out of 100 credit will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Response to Brief 10% No 10 March
Literature/policy review 30% No 7 April
Data collection and analysis 30% No 13 May
Final report 30% No 30 May

Response to Brief

Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 10 March
Weighting: 10%

 

500 word response setting out the steps and stages to be undertaken to acquit the Brief

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Prepare a detailed project outline in response to a planning Brief and document the key steps in its execution

Literature/policy review

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: 7 April
Weighting: 30%

 

1500 word literature/policy review (Part 1 of report as required in the project Brief)

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply research skills to contemporary planning issues
  • Exercise problem-solving, critical, analytical and integrative thinking skills in the field of planning
  • Communicate findings in written forms for diverse audiences

Data collection and analysis

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: 13 May
Weighting: 30%

 

2000 word data analysis (Part 2 of report as required in the project Brief)

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply research skills to contemporary planning issues
  • Exercise problem-solving, critical, analytical and integrative thinking skills in the field of planning
  • Communicate findings in written forms for diverse audiences

Final report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 31 hours
Due: 30 May
Weighting: 30%

 

4500 word final report combining literature/policy review, data collection/analysis plus overall findngs and recommendations

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Communicate findings in written forms for diverse audiences
  • Apply skills in self-management, personal judgement and initiative

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

The scope and delivery of this unit is highly responsive to students' needs and the requirements of the Brief to which they are asked to respond.

Class topics will address both the requirements of consultancy reports in general and the specific issue the consultancy report is asked to address. Students are expected to participate in the development of both method and content and to cooperate with each other in progressing a discussion of the issues involved.

There is no reading list as one assignment is to develop a short reference list and apply the content to the report being prepared.

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2022.03 of the Handbook